The Class 2A football championship trophy is staying in in southeastern Minnesota.

Chatfield made sure of that with a 17-7 victory over Minneota/Lincoln HI in the title game Friday at the Metrodome. Jacob Neis had a first-half touchdown, and Nate Skare tacked on a touchdown and a short field goal to send the Gophers (13-1) to their first championship since 1996, when they won the final Class C crown of three in a row.

Caledonia won the past three Class 2A state championships, but Chatfield beat the Warriors 13-10 in overtime in the Section 1 final. Chatfield’s only loss this season was to Caledonia 19-18 in the opener.

“Section 1 is the best section for football in Minnesota,” Skare said. “Once you get out of that (section), you’ve got a good chance to win (the state title). Caledonia is a No. 1 team. We knew once we beat them, we had everything going for us.”

Neis rushed for 105 yards and Alex Bradt added 69 as the Gophers’ offense moved the ball efficiently and drained the clock. Skare passed for 68 yards and scored on a 3-yard bootleg with 2:08 remaining.

Neis’ 1-yard TD run broke a scoreless tie with 50 seconds left in the first half. He sparked the 64-yard drive with a 26-yard run and a 21-yard hook-and-ladder play in which he handled the final 17 yards.

Skare kicked a 19-yard field goal with 5:13 left after Chatfield stopped Minneota quarterback Austin Buysse on the other end of the field on fourth and 1 from the Gophers’ 1.

“Our defense came up huge,” Skare said. “That was a big stop. It was a huge momentum switch for us.”

Buysse completed 20 of 33 passes for 204 yards for Minneota/Lincoln HI (13-1). His 16-yard strike to Jeff Gladis with six seconds left was the Vikings’ only touchdown.

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